Neck sprains occur when the neck is moved in any one direction too rapidly, stretching it beyond a comfortable limit, resulting in small tears of muscle fibers and spasms. The most common cause is a low- to mid-level trauma, which causes the neck’s muscles, ligaments and tendons to stretch to an extreme position. In most cases, pain is resolved in less than one month.

Signs and symptoms (may include one or more):

Neck, mid back, or shoulder pain

Pain worsens with movement, especially turning to the side

Poor range of motion

Why it hurts:

You may feel pain from both the injured soft tissue itself and the adjacent nerve, which can radiate through the shoulder, arms, and hands.